Page 75 of Welcome to Fae Cafe

Shayne almost smiled. “Would you miss us if we did?” he asked. He looked way too flattered. He even came over, crouched down in front of Kate, and set his chin on his palm while he batted his eyelashes.

When Kate didn’t answer, his smile widened, revealing the faint traces of dimples. “Queensbane, Human. You like us, don’t you?” He poked her nose. “I think I like you, too.”

Kate tossed her blue-light glasses back to her desk and stood. “I’m going to bed.”

Warmth bled into the storefront, turning the café into a sauna even though the world outside was getting close to winter temperatures. When Kate followed the scent of fresh coffee down from her apartment in the morning, she nearly fell off the last stair at the sight of two burly fae males racing through the empty café, throwing something clear and squishy against the wall.

“What isthat?” Kate asked.

“I have no idea,” Mor mumbled from where he sat by the fireplace with his feet up, reading. “Shayne stole it when he was out getting paper drinking goblets this morning.”

“Look!” Shayne’s eyes were wide as he tore the goopy thing off the wall. He hurled it across the room again. It stuck to the window, and the googly-eyed little figurine held onto the glass by its feet. Dranian lunged over a chair to get it, shoving Shayne out of the way.

“Hey! It’s still my turn!” Shayne barked after him, but Dranian got there first and tugged the thing off the wall. He turned with a taunting sneer and jiggled it in the air.

Shayne hopped the chair and tried to grab it, but Dranian flung it away. It sailed toward the café door as Lily opened it and walked in. The goopy figurine smacked her forehead and clung there, and both fae jerked to a halt. Shayne’s hand was still out, frozen in midair, reaching toward it.

Lily peeled the thing off slowly with a horrified face. “Whatisthis?” She threw it into the garbage, and both fae grumbled and moaned. Mor snorted a laugh by the fireplace.

“Wait, who are all those people outside?” Kate pointed toward the window.

“I’d also like to know,” Lily said. “They’re lined up all the way past the flower shop.” The girls pressed against the glass to take in the people on the street. “They aren’t here for our opening, are they?”

“Yes, they are,” Mor said without looking up from his novel.

“How?” Lily asked.

“It was those two.” Mor lifted a foot and pointed at Shayne and Dranian with his toes. “They visited every bookstore, academy, and storefront for miles and flirted shamelessly with all the humans.” His gaze finally flickered up with a look. “They made a lot of promises. There will be plenty of disappointed young—and old—females in here by the end of the day.”

Kate’s face fell. Lily looked repulsed.

“Unreal.” Lily muttered, casting Shayne and Dranian a look. She turned to Kate. “Hey, let’s talk upstairs for a sec.”

“But we’re supposed to open in like ten minutes.”

Lily took Kate’s arm and redirected her toward the staircase. “I’ll be fast.” She bounded up the stairs first and pushed into Kate’s apartment. She started talking as she whirled. “I just got a text from Connor. He saysOfficer Rileyattacked him last night.”

Kate put a hand on her forehead. “Oh, that. Well, it’s not what you think. Connor totally came onto me and—”

“Wait, you know about this?” Lily put her hands on her hips, and then, “Wait, did you just say Connorcame onto you?”

A flood of loud noises filled the café below, and Kate’s head snapped toward the stairs. “Did they open the doors already?”

Lily grabbed Kate’s shoulder before Kate could race back down. “Kate—what happened? You can’t just say that and then run off!”

“I’ll tell you about it later. We need to get back down there.” Kate jutted her thumb toward the café.

Lily dropped her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Actually… I’m so sorry, Kate. I have to cover the extra shift Connor was supposed to work today. He’s not coming in now, and I need to leave in like thirty seconds. I’m the worst, I know,” she said.

Kate dragged a hand through her hair. “It’s okay,” she promised, coaching herself mostly. She nodded toward downstairs. “I have them. We’ll be fine. Go do what you need to at work.”

Lily nodded, but her face was hard. Kate was sure they weren’t finished their conversation about Connor.

They headed down the stairs, slowing to a stop on the bottom stair at the sight of the caféfullof customers, and…

“Oh no—”

“Wow! Look at all the people here for our coffee!” Lily exclaimed, but Kate didn’t hear her.

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